New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1887-05-08
BAD TIMES FOR PROPHETS.
BASEBALL TOO UNCERTAIN THIS YEAR.
GOOD PLAYING ALL AROUND MAKES THE CHAMPION
SHIP DOUBTFUL

GOOD PLAYING ALL AROUND MAKES THE CHAMPION
| SHIP DOUBTFUL
Baseball prophets are strangely silent this year.
and the wild and incoherent predictions OF the would
De critics are things of the past Il has been the
ambition OF the baseball magnates for several years
10 make all the clubs as uniform in playing strength
as possible and their efforts at last to have been
partially successful In former years two or three
CLUBS seemed to have monopoly of the better base
ball talent and the struggle Tor the championship
honors by the weaker clubs aroused little public
interest outside of the cities whence the clubs hailed
Two years ago the League virtually between
the New-York and Chicago clubs from the beginning
10 the close OF the season, and consequence the
games IN which either Of those mines played had
Importance which threw all the other contests into
the shade An improvement made last year. and
until half Of the had been run five OF the eight
clubs appeared TO have excellent chances of being
pennant winners. The St. Louis, Kansas City and
Washington clubs OF course, had no chance.
This year the Improvement is even more marked,
and the race for the championship will be consider
ably more interesting The st. Louis and Kansas
City clubs are no longer draw back to the League,
and their in indianapolis and Pttsburg are
far more formidable. The Pittsburg club comes
into the League from the rival American Association
with good record and greatly strengthened nine.
BY shrewd manipulation most Of the better players
OF the old St. Louis and Kansas City clubs wore given
to indianapolis While neither the st. Louis nor
Kansas City club had great strength still, by CON-
Dinlng the better players of each. tho League
baby has good nine The Washington club so in
significant in last years battles, has also been
strengthened and while the Capitol City nine may not
come near the lead at the close of the season. still the
club will mako much better record than it did last
year.
Tho race forthe American Association Championship
will also be watched with considerable more interest
than last year. As In the League the weaker clubs
have been strengthened and the championship
struggle among the eight clubs. will be closer and
Interesting The financial prospects of the clubs
are also much brighter For the last two years, the
ST. Louis club, whichthst wiley German Won Der
Abe, holds sway. has had everything its own way.
In tho season of 1885 other club could approach
the Browns aud last years race Was almost as bad.
This year first honors will be easily won aud
out OF the eight clubs competing for the much desired
but almost cosess trophy, two-thirds of the number
seem to have fair chances of reaching the goal.
The most remarkable change has been in the Balti-
more club. For two seasons Maryland's representa-
tive club has beeh an Insignificant quantity In tho
championship race. This year tho team has been
wonderfully improved aud the metropolitan club will
have to look to other nine against which to fight
for the honor of being at the foot OF the list The club
is virtually the old Newark Line transferred to Bt
moro.
The Brooklyn club. although it made good record
last year and finished third has better prospects
this year. The club the big bridge has not been
materially strengthened, except by the &C diton of
Catcher OBfien. Longer association promises to make
better team work, and with this desired feature
better record will be made The club has plenty OF
pitchers far numbers go, but it lacks srategest
OF the Keefe Caruthers, Clarkson or Baldwin stripe.
President Wimau, Director Watrous and Manager
Ferguson have been energetic in their endeayors to
make the METROPOLITAN club success. and ii hard
and conscientious work Is always rewarded, the
Indians have bright prospects before them.
There many new faces the team, and among
the number are undoubtedly some excellent players
Ia ,1vtt haY Ia far hut ltl
friends are not discouraged yet and look tor improve
ment soon. The new rules have handicapped the
clubs pitchers than the pitchers themselves
imagine. spralns aud bruises, the enemies of the
baseball player OF to-day, also unusually preva-
lent in tho men. Esterbrook, of whom 50 much was
predicted has fallen far below expectations, and
Orr the best general player the team. received an
injury FROM which he has not yet recovered The club
will DO better work vet, and the enemies of the nine
should be too caustic in their utterances. Con-
tnua lault-dndng will demoralne the best players.
The poor work the Columbia College nine has been
great surprise to the friends OF the college players
The easy manner IN which last years nine van
pushed all amateur opponents led the followers or
the club to expect great things this year Ugly
"a arc going around that too much tavoritism
shown In making up the team, and that there are
several PLAYERS in the college vastly superior to those
on the team IL Is doubtful whether this Is true, but
it fact that there some extremely poor play
ers on tho nine The players weak at the bat and
lack confidence The club may improve and do bet
ter work. but the change must come soon TO enable
the team TO win an honorable position In the inter-
collegiate race
Spectators at the local games have not yet familiar
lied themselves with the revised and unrevised play
ins rules In the professional organizations tour
strikes aad five called balls reign; while in the col
lege rules three strikes end players chances at the
bat aud six called balls send him to first base In
the professional clubs the batter when sent to first
on called balls is credited with base hit; while a
college PITCHER who sends player TO first in like
manner is charged with an error. Ode who secs
League game one day and a college game the next
generally concludes the third day that baseball is
a peculiar sport and that he does not know US much
about its mysterious workings he thought he did.
NOTES AND COMMENTS.
che bulky Conner is not batting so well this year
usual.